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Anti-bullying PSA featuring Felix Hernandez & Macklemore released

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Press Release |

An anti-bullying public service announcement featuring Seattle Mariners All-Star pitcher Felix Hernandez, Grammy Award-winning recording artist Macklemore and a group of students from Bellevue's Highland Middle School was released today.

The message is part of a multi-level campaign that also includes a poster and activity guide for teachers, as well as online resources (at mariners.com/changethegame) that provide students, teachers and parents tools to help address the issue of bullying in schools. Parents can help their children complete the activities and take the anti-bullying pledge to be entered in a contest to meet Hernandez and Macklemore prior to the Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees game on Thursday, June 12, which is Macklemore Bobblehead Night at Safeco Field. Teachers can win Macklemore bobbleheads for their entire class by completing Change the Game activities in their classroom.

In the public service announcement, Hernandez and Macklemore talk about how they may look different than most people, whether it is their haircuts or the clothes they wear, but just because someone is different doesn't mean they should be teased or bullied. They ask students to "be kind, stay positive, and support each other," and to sign the anti-bullying pledge. Intercut with the narration are images that show the individuality of the students in the diverse class. The PSA ends with the line, "Together, we can change the game." The music bed for the PSA is the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis song "BomBom," an instrumental track off their hit album "The Heist." In addition to the 30-second TV PSA there is also a version for radio. Both messages will be widely distributed to radio and TV stations across the Northwest.

The students who were chosen to participate in the public service announcement are from the Highland Middle School (Bellevue) AVID program, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. AVID is an elective class that offers determined students an opportunity to overcome barriers to college such as access, proficiency in English, socio-economic factors, etc. Most students in the program will be the first in their families to attend college. The program focuses on leadership, reading, writing, collaborative and organizational skills.

Partnering with the Mariners on the campaign are the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center; Committee for Children; U.S. Department of Justice, United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Washington, and DOJ's Community Relations Service; and Copacino+Fujikado.